Friday saw us getting up early and heading back to Auckland to pick up six new people who were joining the trip. It's a bit strange, but Auckland is like home from home for me; everything seems so farmilar.
Now with eight people plus our driver/guide, we headed on to the Coromandel Peninsula. We stopped for about 30 mins to get the bus looked at for repairs, then pressed on to our campsite. When we got there, we went off on a three hour sea kayak to Cathedral Cove, which was a lot of fun, if a bit wet!
I wasn't quite sure about the Flying Kiwi tour to begin with, but I'm really getting in to it now. I guess it's just the change of routine and pace from having lots of time in the same place in Auckland, to getting up early every day and travelling with Flying Kiwi.
Anyway, got to go, Rotorua calls!
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Flying Kiwi day three - Northland West coast
On Thursday we left Paihia and headed down the West coast back towards Auckland. The first port of call was sandboarding on a set of huge dunes, I'm not sure exactly where. A boat took us across to the dunes and we were just left for an hour on our own with tons of sand to play with. It was just Rebekka, Lisa our guide and driver, and I, but we had loads of fun even if the tide was out and we couldn't slide into the water.
Next on the route was a forrest in which Kauri trees grow. Native to New Zealand, they can grow to huge sizes but only a few of the older ones are left standing. We went and walked to the largest one left, at 1200 years old. It wasn't very tall, but still enormous, with a diameter of about 5m.
We camped near the beach at Waiwera and went for a swim at the Hot Pools there, a set of pools heated geothermally, which was a nice relaxing end to the day.
Next on the route was a forrest in which Kauri trees grow. Native to New Zealand, they can grow to huge sizes but only a few of the older ones are left standing. We went and walked to the largest one left, at 1200 years old. It wasn't very tall, but still enormous, with a diameter of about 5m.
We camped near the beach at Waiwera and went for a swim at the Hot Pools there, a set of pools heated geothermally, which was a nice relaxing end to the day.
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Flying Kiwi day two - Bay of Islands
Getting up early on Wednesday, Rebekka and I headed off to the ferry terminal in Paihia for a 6 hour cruise around the Bay. It was cloudy to begin with, but then brightened up as the day progressed. We headed out to sea on a catamaran and went looking for dolphins in the wild straight away. I'm not sure how they did it, but the captain managed to find a pod of about 4 of them within about 30 minutes. While we couldn't swim with them because there were young dolphins in the group, we got to watch them play around the boat for about half an hour, which was truly awesome.
After navigating the Hole in the Rock on Piercy Island, the captain dropped us of on an undeveloped island for a couple of hours, giving us the choice of what we wanted to do. While some went swimming or snorkelling, I went for a walk to the summit on the island to look back and admire the scenery. If you ever had a preconception about what paradise might look like, it'll be close to what this place was. It was almost like being in the TV series 'Lost', with the palm trees and empty beaches leading up to untouched forrests on hillsides. You really had to see it to believe it.
When we got back to Paihia, Rebekka and I walked to Waitangi to visit the Treaty Grounds. This is where the Maori chiefs and the delegation from Britain signed the Treaty of Waitangi, which is essentailly the founding document of New Zealand. The English translation didn't say exactly the same as the Maori one, and issues arising from that are still relevant today.
After grabbing some dinner at a fish and chip shop, we headed back to the Treaty Grounds to watch an evening Maori culture show. Performed in a traditonal meeting house decked out with the full decorative carvings, it gave a theatrical representation of the main Maori legends and their cultural background. After studying exploititive tourism in Geography at school, it was hard not to think about it in that context, but it obviously wasn't in the same context as places like Kenya. The show was really good though, and explained all of the basic Maori traditions and priciples through and entertaining storyline.
Not a bad day to mark the completion of my first two weeks in New Zealand!
After navigating the Hole in the Rock on Piercy Island, the captain dropped us of on an undeveloped island for a couple of hours, giving us the choice of what we wanted to do. While some went swimming or snorkelling, I went for a walk to the summit on the island to look back and admire the scenery. If you ever had a preconception about what paradise might look like, it'll be close to what this place was. It was almost like being in the TV series 'Lost', with the palm trees and empty beaches leading up to untouched forrests on hillsides. You really had to see it to believe it.
When we got back to Paihia, Rebekka and I walked to Waitangi to visit the Treaty Grounds. This is where the Maori chiefs and the delegation from Britain signed the Treaty of Waitangi, which is essentailly the founding document of New Zealand. The English translation didn't say exactly the same as the Maori one, and issues arising from that are still relevant today.
After grabbing some dinner at a fish and chip shop, we headed back to the Treaty Grounds to watch an evening Maori culture show. Performed in a traditonal meeting house decked out with the full decorative carvings, it gave a theatrical representation of the main Maori legends and their cultural background. After studying exploititive tourism in Geography at school, it was hard not to think about it in that context, but it obviously wasn't in the same context as places like Kenya. The show was really good though, and explained all of the basic Maori traditions and priciples through and entertaining storyline.
Not a bad day to mark the completion of my first two weeks in New Zealand!
Flying Kiwi day one - travelling North
So on Tuesday morning I went down to the harbourside at 10am to start my Flying Kiwi tour and there the bus was, trailer with bikes on as well. I said goodbye to Jennifer, then got on to find that it was just me, the guide Lisa and a German girl called Rebekka for the first three days. When we return from north of Auckland we pick up 6 or 7 others for the rest of the North Island, but for now it's just three of us!
Off we drove north towards Paihia in the Bay of Islands, travelling out of the urban core of the North Island and into the countryside. We stopped for lunch on a beautiful sandy beach before moving on. I somewhat stupidly chose to cycle a route into Paihia and then to the campsite, failing to take on board the labels of "difficult ride" and "rough terrain". Needless to say, it was tough! I rode (and walked) through forrests and agricultural land, then down the coastline and on to the campsite. I originally planned to cycle to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but it took me much longer than I initally planned, so I just went back to the campsite. When I got back, we had dinner and then after many attempts, got a fire going, before heading off to sleep.
Off we drove north towards Paihia in the Bay of Islands, travelling out of the urban core of the North Island and into the countryside. We stopped for lunch on a beautiful sandy beach before moving on. I somewhat stupidly chose to cycle a route into Paihia and then to the campsite, failing to take on board the labels of "difficult ride" and "rough terrain". Needless to say, it was tough! I rode (and walked) through forrests and agricultural land, then down the coastline and on to the campsite. I originally planned to cycle to the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, but it took me much longer than I initally planned, so I just went back to the campsite. When I got back, we had dinner and then after many attempts, got a fire going, before heading off to sleep.
Monday, October 24, 2005
Last days in Auckland (for now)
On Sunday, Jennifer and I went over to Devonport for the day to enjoy the first sunny weather in about a week and to check out a flat that she was interested in. We had lunch in the town, then went for a walk around the suburb, including its beaches and extinct volcanoes.
Jennifer had lost her voice from a couple of nights before, so I ended up learning a bit of sign language and having things written down for me all day, which proved an amusing and interesting experience. We checked out the flat, me interpreting, and the couple there seemed really nice, but there was no Internet access so I don't think Jennifer is going to go for it. We went up to North Head (one of the volcanoes) to watch the sun set, then headed back down for a meal in town, before heading back into Auckland. With all things considered, a great day.
Today is a public holiday in New Zealand, so there wasn't much open, but Jennifer and I met up with Jesse, Matt and a couple of their friends for lunch. After that, Jennifer and I went to a bar called Minus 5, where everything is made of ice, from the walls to the cups you drink from. Donning big Russian coats, you're only allowed 25 minutes inside for as many $12 vodka cocktails as you can afford, but it was really cool (no pun intended) while it lasted. Then this evening we had dinner in the revolving restaurant up in the Sky Tower, which was awesome, even if it was expensive.
Tomorrow morning I start the second stage of my stay in New Zealand, leaving on a month long Flying Kiwi bus tour around the whole country. I don't know how much access I'll have to the Internet, but I'll do my best to keep you all informed of how I'm doing (and thanks for reading so far!).
Auckland isn't the greatest city, but it's one with a hell of a lot of positives. Everyone around here is friendly, I've never felt unsafe, the islands in the Gulf are breathtaking and there's enough farmilar to feel comfortable. A lot of people only stay here a few days, but it definitely deserves greater credit than it receives.
In the last 12 days I've met people from numerous countries and made some great friends. If it's been this good so far, I can't wait for the months ahead!
Jennifer had lost her voice from a couple of nights before, so I ended up learning a bit of sign language and having things written down for me all day, which proved an amusing and interesting experience. We checked out the flat, me interpreting, and the couple there seemed really nice, but there was no Internet access so I don't think Jennifer is going to go for it. We went up to North Head (one of the volcanoes) to watch the sun set, then headed back down for a meal in town, before heading back into Auckland. With all things considered, a great day.
Today is a public holiday in New Zealand, so there wasn't much open, but Jennifer and I met up with Jesse, Matt and a couple of their friends for lunch. After that, Jennifer and I went to a bar called Minus 5, where everything is made of ice, from the walls to the cups you drink from. Donning big Russian coats, you're only allowed 25 minutes inside for as many $12 vodka cocktails as you can afford, but it was really cool (no pun intended) while it lasted. Then this evening we had dinner in the revolving restaurant up in the Sky Tower, which was awesome, even if it was expensive.
Tomorrow morning I start the second stage of my stay in New Zealand, leaving on a month long Flying Kiwi bus tour around the whole country. I don't know how much access I'll have to the Internet, but I'll do my best to keep you all informed of how I'm doing (and thanks for reading so far!).
Auckland isn't the greatest city, but it's one with a hell of a lot of positives. Everyone around here is friendly, I've never felt unsafe, the islands in the Gulf are breathtaking and there's enough farmilar to feel comfortable. A lot of people only stay here a few days, but it definitely deserves greater credit than it receives.
In the last 12 days I've met people from numerous countries and made some great friends. If it's been this good so far, I can't wait for the months ahead!
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Kelly Tarlton's and rugby
On Friday I was meant to be changing rooms within the hostel so I was semi-packed and ready to go, but when I got to reception I was informed that I didn't need to move after all. What a start to the day!
Anyway, I went over to IEP and then on to Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium. I had a 20% discount and there's a free shuttle bus there, so at least I didn't have to pay all of the extortionate entrance fee. I didn't know what to expect from it, but it wasn't too great once you got inside. The aquarium only had about three main tanks and didn't even take an hour to go round. The big selling point was a tunnel through one of the tanks which you could walk through, but it proved to be fairly tame and uninteresting. It was such a contrast between it and the far cheaper and better Auckland Museum.
In the evening I met up with Jesse, Matt and Jennifer, and we went out to the bars and clubs down in the Viaduct area in Auckland Harbour. We were out until 5, so it was a tiring night to say the least!
Consequently, today was a bit of a lazy day. I met up with Jennifer for lunch and then we went to see the rugby NPC final in the evening on a trip that the hostel had organised. It was the last game of the season between Auckland and Otago, but the stadium wasn't sold out and the tickets were only $25 including transport. Auckland won quite convincingly to the delight of much of the crowd and it was an entertaining game, even if it did rain a little to begin with.
Over the next few days I'll be winding up my stay in Auckland, with an easy day tomorrow and packing to do on Monday, ready for my morning departure on Tuesday.
Anyway, I went over to IEP and then on to Kelly Tarlton's Aquarium. I had a 20% discount and there's a free shuttle bus there, so at least I didn't have to pay all of the extortionate entrance fee. I didn't know what to expect from it, but it wasn't too great once you got inside. The aquarium only had about three main tanks and didn't even take an hour to go round. The big selling point was a tunnel through one of the tanks which you could walk through, but it proved to be fairly tame and uninteresting. It was such a contrast between it and the far cheaper and better Auckland Museum.
In the evening I met up with Jesse, Matt and Jennifer, and we went out to the bars and clubs down in the Viaduct area in Auckland Harbour. We were out until 5, so it was a tiring night to say the least!
Consequently, today was a bit of a lazy day. I met up with Jennifer for lunch and then we went to see the rugby NPC final in the evening on a trip that the hostel had organised. It was the last game of the season between Auckland and Otago, but the stadium wasn't sold out and the tickets were only $25 including transport. Auckland won quite convincingly to the delight of much of the crowd and it was an entertaining game, even if it did rain a little to begin with.
Over the next few days I'll be winding up my stay in Auckland, with an easy day tomorrow and packing to do on Monday, ready for my morning departure on Tuesday.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Auckland Museum
Today and yesterday, the weather's made a turn for the worse, clouding over on Wednesday and then raining on Thursday afternoon. Yesterday I didn't really do much, just hung around at IEP reading my FHiNZ booklet and putting a mark next to the interesting farms. It's quite good now that I've been to all of the available IEP social events, because every time I go up to the office I meet someone I know. In particular, I've made friends a few Americans who are over here to work and travel; Matt, Jesse and Jennifer.
So today Simon and I went off to the Auckland Museum, really just to do something instead of sitting around all day. I didn't really expect much from it to be honest, but it turned out to be superb. The first surprise came when we had to hand in our bags and I read a sign, "You may take photographs in the museum". Usually it's strictly forbidden because of the fading that flash can cause to objects.
The museum was originally built as a war memorial after World War 1, but it now had three floors covering Maori culture, natural history and conflicts that Kiwis have been involved in. It's not one of those typical boring places though; there are loads of interactive demos and kiosks.
I must have taken about 50 photos throughout my visit, it was like being allowed to do something that you've been forbidden from doing for ages. I don't like using flash and it's not the most subtle thing to use in a museum, so I just opened up the aperture on my camera, dialled up the ISO and it worked fine.
I found the Maori section particularly interesting; it's amazing how intricate their carving is given the materials and equipment they used. The natural history section didn't grab me as much, but there was a small modern history room there, with displays on the last few decades. They even had a cabinet for 1990s kids, complete with a PlayStation! I guess that's what happens when you become an adult; people start collecting your outdated stuff and preserving it for future generations to smirk at.
So today Simon and I went off to the Auckland Museum, really just to do something instead of sitting around all day. I didn't really expect much from it to be honest, but it turned out to be superb. The first surprise came when we had to hand in our bags and I read a sign, "You may take photographs in the museum". Usually it's strictly forbidden because of the fading that flash can cause to objects.
The museum was originally built as a war memorial after World War 1, but it now had three floors covering Maori culture, natural history and conflicts that Kiwis have been involved in. It's not one of those typical boring places though; there are loads of interactive demos and kiosks.
I must have taken about 50 photos throughout my visit, it was like being allowed to do something that you've been forbidden from doing for ages. I don't like using flash and it's not the most subtle thing to use in a museum, so I just opened up the aperture on my camera, dialled up the ISO and it worked fine.
I found the Maori section particularly interesting; it's amazing how intricate their carving is given the materials and equipment they used. The natural history section didn't grab me as much, but there was a small modern history room there, with displays on the last few decades. They even had a cabinet for 1990s kids, complete with a PlayStation! I guess that's what happens when you become an adult; people start collecting your outdated stuff and preserving it for future generations to smirk at.
Maori art at the Auckland Museum
This is inside Auckland Museum. I was really surprised that they actually allow people to take photos in there.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Rangitoto Island
Yesterday (Tuesday), Simon and I had an early start and headed out to Rangitoto Island, just east of Auckland. It's the city's newest volcano, about 800 years old, and sits right in the centre of the Hauraki Gulf.
Viewed from afar, the island looks like it's covered in trees like a rainforest, hiding it's more interesting parts. Because of its relative youth, there's very little soil and instead the ground is made up almost exclusively of fields of black volcanic rock. Paths have been laid down to provide a route to the summit and around the coast, but apart from that it's essentially untamed with no permanent residents or businesses. The weather was probably the best since I've been here and the views from the summit were equally stunning. An interesting point of the trip was the volcano's perfectly circular crater, which you climb up and around to reach Rangitoto's summit.
We came back down and ended up having an hour before the ferry came, so I went for a wander down the coast to take some pictures. It was then that I noticed and read about the baches (I don't know how it's pronounced), which are the houses of those who used to live on the island. Apparently there were around 190 people resident there during the 1930s. These baches are all restored and conserved, fully furnished with period articles, so it's like walking around a living museum; there's even washing on the line outside. It was maybe a little odd that one of the island's highlights was so poorly advertised, but I guess they don't want such a fragile environment overrun with a bunch of tourists.
In the evening, I went to the IEP (the work and travel hosting company) office for a pubmeet that they were laying on. We went to a place I hadn't seen before and we joined in a pub quiz for a few hours. Even though there were about 15 in our group, I hadn't met all but 2 of them before, even though the previous social event was only on Friday. It's great to be able to meet up with completley new people who you have something in common with.
I also picked up a FHiNZ (Farm Helpers in New Zealand) book, which lists farmstays all across the country. Their system works by you working for a few hours a day in exchange for food and accomodation. It seems like a great way to meet the locals and it's of course cheap, so I'll probably do that for my remaining six weeks in New Zealand.
Viewed from afar, the island looks like it's covered in trees like a rainforest, hiding it's more interesting parts. Because of its relative youth, there's very little soil and instead the ground is made up almost exclusively of fields of black volcanic rock. Paths have been laid down to provide a route to the summit and around the coast, but apart from that it's essentially untamed with no permanent residents or businesses. The weather was probably the best since I've been here and the views from the summit were equally stunning. An interesting point of the trip was the volcano's perfectly circular crater, which you climb up and around to reach Rangitoto's summit.
We came back down and ended up having an hour before the ferry came, so I went for a wander down the coast to take some pictures. It was then that I noticed and read about the baches (I don't know how it's pronounced), which are the houses of those who used to live on the island. Apparently there were around 190 people resident there during the 1930s. These baches are all restored and conserved, fully furnished with period articles, so it's like walking around a living museum; there's even washing on the line outside. It was maybe a little odd that one of the island's highlights was so poorly advertised, but I guess they don't want such a fragile environment overrun with a bunch of tourists.
In the evening, I went to the IEP (the work and travel hosting company) office for a pubmeet that they were laying on. We went to a place I hadn't seen before and we joined in a pub quiz for a few hours. Even though there were about 15 in our group, I hadn't met all but 2 of them before, even though the previous social event was only on Friday. It's great to be able to meet up with completley new people who you have something in common with.
I also picked up a FHiNZ (Farm Helpers in New Zealand) book, which lists farmstays all across the country. Their system works by you working for a few hours a day in exchange for food and accomodation. It seems like a great way to meet the locals and it's of course cheap, so I'll probably do that for my remaining six weeks in New Zealand.
One week on, quite a few to go!
It's been a week since I flew out from Heathrow to New Zealand, but it feels like far longer. I feel fairly well settled in now; I know where most things are and how they work over here. Everything's a bit different, but usually in a good way.
So on Monday, Simon and I went on a free tour laid on by Kiwi Experience, the main bus tour company in New Zealand. I've already booked a tour with another company, but it was free and another oppurtunity to meet other people, so why not?
So the guide took us on a three hour trip around Auckland, stopping off at Devonport as the main destination. We'd already been there previously, but the guide pointed out a few new things that I hadn't seen before. It was ultimately a marketing exercise for Kiwi Experience who are trying to sign up as many of us for their tours, but it as long as you knew that, it was an enjoyable free trip around town.
That evening Simon and I went back to Devonport by ferry and after dinner, we ventured up to one of the extinct volcanoes to photograph Auckland by sunset and night. It took a while to figure out the best perspective, but I think I got some cool shots of the harbour and the city behind it.
Observation of the Day - In New Zealand, prices are always to the nearest 5 or 10 cents, so you never get anything priced 2.99 and end up with a ton of useless change. I haven't even seen a 1 or 2 cent coin yet!
So on Monday, Simon and I went on a free tour laid on by Kiwi Experience, the main bus tour company in New Zealand. I've already booked a tour with another company, but it was free and another oppurtunity to meet other people, so why not?
So the guide took us on a three hour trip around Auckland, stopping off at Devonport as the main destination. We'd already been there previously, but the guide pointed out a few new things that I hadn't seen before. It was ultimately a marketing exercise for Kiwi Experience who are trying to sign up as many of us for their tours, but it as long as you knew that, it was an enjoyable free trip around town.
That evening Simon and I went back to Devonport by ferry and after dinner, we ventured up to one of the extinct volcanoes to photograph Auckland by sunset and night. It took a while to figure out the best perspective, but I think I got some cool shots of the harbour and the city behind it.
Observation of the Day - In New Zealand, prices are always to the nearest 5 or 10 cents, so you never get anything priced 2.99 and end up with a ton of useless change. I haven't even seen a 1 or 2 cent coin yet!
Monday, October 17, 2005
Sunday, October 16, 2005
Waiheke Island
Today Jay, Simon and I went out to Waiheke Island which sits about 20km east of central Auckland. It's been the first day that the weather has been great from dawn til dusk and it wasn't too hot because the sea lowers the temperature.
We looked at hiring a car for the day as it was only NZ$50, but the deposit was NZ$750 and we were reluctant to risk that, so we walked and took the bus instead. We only got to visit one beach and the main village on the island, but it proved more than adequete. We stopped off at Palm Beach (opting for that over Blackpool Beach!) and it really was stunning. For those of us who aren't used to such beaches, the sight of litter-less sand and relatively clear water is something to behold. We had a drink and a cake in the afternoon sun (it's a hard life for some!) before moving off back to the ferry terminal and back to our hostels.
This evening Simon and I met up with Jay to say goodbye to him, since he's off on a Kiwi Experience bus tour tomorrow. He'll be in Sydney at the same time as me though, so I'm sure we'll meet up again.
Incidentally, on the way to the pub I spotted a shop called "Pie Mania", which definitely deserves further investigation!
We looked at hiring a car for the day as it was only NZ$50, but the deposit was NZ$750 and we were reluctant to risk that, so we walked and took the bus instead. We only got to visit one beach and the main village on the island, but it proved more than adequete. We stopped off at Palm Beach (opting for that over Blackpool Beach!) and it really was stunning. For those of us who aren't used to such beaches, the sight of litter-less sand and relatively clear water is something to behold. We had a drink and a cake in the afternoon sun (it's a hard life for some!) before moving off back to the ferry terminal and back to our hostels.
This evening Simon and I met up with Jay to say goodbye to him, since he's off on a Kiwi Experience bus tour tomorrow. He'll be in Sydney at the same time as me though, so I'm sure we'll meet up again.
Incidentally, on the way to the pub I spotted a shop called "Pie Mania", which definitely deserves further investigation!
Skytower
Saturday was a bit of a frustrating day, but one that turned out okay in the end. We originally planned to meet up at the ferry terminal and head across the Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf, but Jay and Nikki overslept and so we called it off until the next day. Simon and I then headed back to the hostel, planning to do some laundry before heading back to the ferry port and go to a different island, Rangitoto. Our laundry took much longer to do, so we missed that ferry as well, so decided to head to the Skytower instead.
The Skytower is probably the most obvious thing to visit in Auckland and it's only about 250m away from our hostel. It's the tallest building in the Southern hemisphere (although it has little competition) and we went up to the observation deck at 220m. The weather had really cleared up so you could see for miles around the city, including its most prominent volcanoes, islands and harbours.
Viewing Auckland from above naturally gives you a completely different perspective on things and it turns out that one of the best looking skyscrapers in the city is right next to our hostel and I didn't even notice it before! There are plenty of tall buildings in the city, but you really don't register them until you see Auckland from a distance.
The Skytower is probably the most obvious thing to visit in Auckland and it's only about 250m away from our hostel. It's the tallest building in the Southern hemisphere (although it has little competition) and we went up to the observation deck at 220m. The weather had really cleared up so you could see for miles around the city, including its most prominent volcanoes, islands and harbours.
Viewing Auckland from above naturally gives you a completely different perspective on things and it turns out that one of the best looking skyscrapers in the city is right next to our hostel and I didn't even notice it before! There are plenty of tall buildings in the city, but you really don't register them until you see Auckland from a distance.
Saturday, October 15, 2005
IEP and Auckland
One of the vouchers I got in my envelope which I got when I arrived at ACB was for an orientation talk. I didn't know exactly what it was about, but I went over to the top floor of an office block opposite where it was being held yesterday morning. It turns out that there's a company up there called IEP who provide all the job finding, tax, bank account setup and advice services that I'd paid for through the Work and Travel Company. The information I'd been given wasn't very clear, so it was a good thing that I went to the orientation talk and found out about this place.
It seems that there are lots of companies reselling the IEP service throughout Europe and N. America, because out of 30 of us, there were only 3 who had English as their first language. The woman who was giving the talk went through lots of information about working and travelling around New Zealand, along with what their company provides. They're only open Monday to Friday, but you can use the Internet for free and their computers are much better than this one!
One of the more intesting points that I picked up was about WWOFFing, which is where you work on an organic farm for 5 hours a day for your food and accomodation. Because I'll only have 6 weeks left in NZ when I get back from my month tour with Flying Kiwi, I'd have to stay in one place if I chose to get a job. WWOFFing might be the best way to get to know the locals and see the parts of the country that I want to visit in more detail.
So after my orientation talk, I met up with Jay, Nikki and Simon again and we went for a walk around Auckland. Karangahape Road was meant to be all funky like Camden in London but wasn't very exciting, so we went onto The Domain - Auckland's main park - and then back into the city centre.
Auckland is the third largest city in the world in terms of the area that it covers, but it only houses 1 million people. The downtown area where I'm staying is packed with skyscrapers owned by the big insurance companies, but you rarely notice their presence at all. It's not like The City in London where all of the financial insitutions are bunched together; here everything's completly mixed up.
There's enough similar for it to be comfortable, but enough different from home to be interesting. Cars drive on the same side of the road, but around 90% of them are Japanese. I haven't even seen a VW, Renault or a Citroen yet! The Asian and Maori population is also huge here, about 20% although it seems much higher around here, but it doesn't feel like there's any segregation at all.
I went out to The Playhouse in the evening, an English style pub except without the smell as smoking in public places is banned over here. I met up with a group of people from a New Zealand backpacking website and had a great time before coming back to the hostel.
It seems that there are lots of companies reselling the IEP service throughout Europe and N. America, because out of 30 of us, there were only 3 who had English as their first language. The woman who was giving the talk went through lots of information about working and travelling around New Zealand, along with what their company provides. They're only open Monday to Friday, but you can use the Internet for free and their computers are much better than this one!
One of the more intesting points that I picked up was about WWOFFing, which is where you work on an organic farm for 5 hours a day for your food and accomodation. Because I'll only have 6 weeks left in NZ when I get back from my month tour with Flying Kiwi, I'd have to stay in one place if I chose to get a job. WWOFFing might be the best way to get to know the locals and see the parts of the country that I want to visit in more detail.
So after my orientation talk, I met up with Jay, Nikki and Simon again and we went for a walk around Auckland. Karangahape Road was meant to be all funky like Camden in London but wasn't very exciting, so we went onto The Domain - Auckland's main park - and then back into the city centre.
Auckland is the third largest city in the world in terms of the area that it covers, but it only houses 1 million people. The downtown area where I'm staying is packed with skyscrapers owned by the big insurance companies, but you rarely notice their presence at all. It's not like The City in London where all of the financial insitutions are bunched together; here everything's completly mixed up.
There's enough similar for it to be comfortable, but enough different from home to be interesting. Cars drive on the same side of the road, but around 90% of them are Japanese. I haven't even seen a VW, Renault or a Citroen yet! The Asian and Maori population is also huge here, about 20% although it seems much higher around here, but it doesn't feel like there's any segregation at all.
I went out to The Playhouse in the evening, an English style pub except without the smell as smoking in public places is banned over here. I met up with a group of people from a New Zealand backpacking website and had a great time before coming back to the hostel.
Friday, October 14, 2005
Devonport
On Thursday I met up with Jay and Nikki who I had met at the airport the previous day and Simon, my roommate. We had an explore down Queen's Street, the central road in Auckland which finishes at the ferry terminal. Almost on the spur of the moment, we decided to take a 15 minute ride to Devonport, a suburb to the North of central Auckland.
The sun came out just as we got there and the view from the ferry port alone was stunning. You could see a stretch of beach, the unusually (for me!) clear water and the whole length of the CBD.
The difference between the downtown area of Auckland and Devonport was almost surreal; it was like you'd stepped into Florida, but with a Kiwi twist. Palm trees line the roads, there's no sign of large national stores and the traffic is much reduced. There doesn't seem to be much of a planning standard either; all of the plantation style houses are completely different, but equally charming and well kept.
We ventured up to Mount Victoria, one of Auckland's 50 volcanoes, and when we go to the summit the view was even more spectacular. We could see a complete panorama of Auckland and it's suburbs, plus the islands to the east.
It was nice to get out of the city centre where our hostels are and to somewhere that really warrants you being in New Zealand. If you don't go out every day and do something like this, you're bound to get homesick because it won't feel like there's a reason for you to be here.
P.S. My mobile phone number in NZ is +64 (0)21 0225 4964. So if you dial from outside of NZ, go for 00642102254964.
The sun came out just as we got there and the view from the ferry port alone was stunning. You could see a stretch of beach, the unusually (for me!) clear water and the whole length of the CBD.
The difference between the downtown area of Auckland and Devonport was almost surreal; it was like you'd stepped into Florida, but with a Kiwi twist. Palm trees line the roads, there's no sign of large national stores and the traffic is much reduced. There doesn't seem to be much of a planning standard either; all of the plantation style houses are completely different, but equally charming and well kept.
We ventured up to Mount Victoria, one of Auckland's 50 volcanoes, and when we go to the summit the view was even more spectacular. We could see a complete panorama of Auckland and it's suburbs, plus the islands to the east.
It was nice to get out of the city centre where our hostels are and to somewhere that really warrants you being in New Zealand. If you don't go out every day and do something like this, you're bound to get homesick because it won't feel like there's a reason for you to be here.
P.S. My mobile phone number in NZ is +64 (0)21 0225 4964. So if you dial from outside of NZ, go for 00642102254964.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
I'm here!
On Monday evening I left Heathrow for Auckland via Bangkok and Sydney. A couple of days later and I'm booked into Auckland Central Packpackers hostel in the very centre of the city.
The flights were okay and I managed to get a great seat by economy standards for the longest legs of the journey. I ended up getting a bulkhead seat with no-one in front of me, so I had a ton of legroom. I didn't get much sleep, but got enough to see me through.
The stop at Bangkok was about 3-4 hours long, but when we got to Sydney it was taken down to about 30 minutes because of a delay in docking the aircraft.
It turned out that when we got to Auckland that all of our baggage hadn't made the journey with us, so about 10 of us who had travelled from Heathrow had to wait an hour or so to collect our larger packs. I hung around with a couple of other backpackers and we went for a drink while we waited for the packs to come through. It was nice at least to have someone else in the same situation as yourself.
So I've booked into the ACB hostel and it's better than I expected. The dorm is just four beds and there's plenty of space and a more than adequete locker for my luggage.
I'm not sure what I'm doing tomorrow, probably have a look around the immediate area and make my way towards the tourist information centre. If the weather's nice I might even go and do a bit of photography.
The flights were okay and I managed to get a great seat by economy standards for the longest legs of the journey. I ended up getting a bulkhead seat with no-one in front of me, so I had a ton of legroom. I didn't get much sleep, but got enough to see me through.
The stop at Bangkok was about 3-4 hours long, but when we got to Sydney it was taken down to about 30 minutes because of a delay in docking the aircraft.
It turned out that when we got to Auckland that all of our baggage hadn't made the journey with us, so about 10 of us who had travelled from Heathrow had to wait an hour or so to collect our larger packs. I hung around with a couple of other backpackers and we went for a drink while we waited for the packs to come through. It was nice at least to have someone else in the same situation as yourself.
So I've booked into the ACB hostel and it's better than I expected. The dorm is just four beds and there's plenty of space and a more than adequete locker for my luggage.
I'm not sure what I'm doing tomorrow, probably have a look around the immediate area and make my way towards the tourist information centre. If the weather's nice I might even go and do a bit of photography.
Monday, October 10, 2005
Packed and ready to go!
I'm not quite sure how, but with a bit of help I've managed to pack everything into my two bags and now I'm almost set for the flight. Trying to fit everything that you'll need for 11 months into a bag isn't easy, trust me! Both bags came under the weight limits allowed, but when I tried it on it was extremely heavy. I'm not planning to carry around a third of my own body weight a lot though, so my back should be safe!
Anyway, my flight leaves at 10pm, so I have to be there to check in at 8, so need to leave the house at 6. My parents and grandmother are coming with me to the airport to say goodbye and several other people have already wished me well, so that's nice. I'll certainly miss a lot of people, but I'm really looking forward to the eleven months ahead. I haven't had any second thoughts yet, so that must be a good sign!
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